When the Broadway-bound musical "The Addams Family" premiered in Chicago in late 2009, it was greeted with big box office numbers, good reviews and the kind of brand-name identity producers only dream about.

Based on the cartoon panels by Charles Addams, which were also the basis of a popular '60s TV series and two early '90s movies, the new musical, which starred Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, looked at first glance — at least to outside eyes — to be destined to become a smash.

The show's characters were instantly beloved: Gomez and Morticia Addams, the head of the decidedly macabre family that also includes uber-goth daughter Wednesday and son Pugsley, mad Grandma, the looming butler Lurch and bald and batty Uncle Fester. Even "Thing" single-handedly makes a appearance.

Producer Stuart Oken, who had worked for Disney Theatrical Productions during the creation of"The Lion King,"wanted to create his own creative and commercial stage blockbuster. "I saw what happened when you marry a more-or-less avant garde artist with what could be considered a commercial property," says Oken.

So he hired Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, best known for the inventive and dark off-Broadway entertainment "Shockheaded Peter," to design and direct the show. But creating a large-scale musical was too much a task for them, says Oken, who knew in Chicago that the production, despite ticket sales and kind critics, was uneven and unfocused. Bloggers and theater gossips were already beating the Internet tom-toms signaling a possible disaster.

"When I came into Chicago," says Zaks," 'it was total chaos. The show was a critical patient on the table but we only had so much time." The upgraded musial, says Zaks, ended up being "a good evening's entertainment" — but not enough to avoid the mixed-to-withering reviews when the new version opened on Broadway in the spring of 2010.

On the strength of the stars and the Addams brand name, the musical managed a robust box office shortly after it opened. But Tony Award nomination snubs didn't help the growing perception that this was at best a maybe-marginal as opposed to a must-see show.

Starting Over

When Lane and Neuwirth contracts' expired and the stars left the show last year — succeeded by Roger Rees and Brooke Shields — the box office declined. Though the musical was still making a profit, Oken felt it could not weather the slow winter season and the musical closed Dec. 31, having run 722 performances and failing to recoup its $16 million costs.

But when Zaks, composer Andrew Lippa and writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice ("Jersey Boys") and the show's producers gathered a little over a year ago they decided the tour would give them a chance to finish the job they set out to do after Chicago.

"How many shows that get reviewed like ours did have the chance to have a future life?" says Oken.

"You could feel the relief in the room," says Zaks of the meeting about the tour and what do with the show. "There wasn't that awful tension. But for me it was how willing were the writers willing and eager re-attack the project that they've been with such a long time? But there was a common desire to make it better.

"But first we all had to identify what the common problem was. We knew in a general way that there wasn't sufficient conflict with the lead characters." (The earlier version's conflict centered on Morticia's fear of aging, which was "slight," says Zaks.)

In the revised version, the foundation of trust of the marriage of Gomez and Morticia is shaken when Gomez lies to his wife about their daughter's engagement. "What father can say no to a cute daughter,' says Zaks.

In changing the focus it made the leading characters the heart of the show and they became "identifiable human beings with just a different sensibility. It became clear what the show was all about. Once we had the basic premise right it was just the usual process of hacking away, saying, 'This isn't good enough, this isn't done yet, this can be better.' The writers were tireless and refused to be satisfied."

Three new songs were added, others scratched as was a much-disliked second act scene involving a supporting character's romantic relationship with a giant squid.

The tour, starring Douglas Sills and Sara Gettelfinger, opened in New Orleans last fall and has received positive national and local reviews. The North American tour continues through the end of the year and other productions are planned for Australia and Brazil.

Worth It?

The $16 million show recouped 70 percent of its costs, says Oken, who heads Elephant Eye Theatrical, which was a co-lead producer the show — and is also developing several other musicals that are in various stages of development.

One of the partners in the formation of Elephant Eye is Five Cent Productions, comprised of five presenting theaters including Hartford's Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, which contributed $500,000 to Elephant Eye. (Michael Leavitt is the other partner along with Oken and Five Cent in ERlephant Eye.)

David Fay, CEO and president of the Bushnell, says his institution already got its money back — not through royalties as partners in Elephant Eye but rather because it was paid a salary for the managerial and financial services the Bushnell and Fay provided, amounting to about $600,000.

If"Addams Family"starts to eventually earn a profit in later years through the tour, international, stock and amateur rights and a pending HD film deal (similar to "Memphis"), the Bushnell will get its share of the producer's net profits.

But no one is expecting a windfall or even much in profits. "Nothing really changes the economic playing field except a real hit," says Oken.

Was it worth it in time, money and energy for the Bushnell to be involved in producing the project over the past six years?

"Absolutely," says Fay. "It animated us in a way that we just haven't been and it will recoup over years. But will it do more than that? Probably not. But this is something we should be doing. It's something we set out to do and frankly why I was hired [11 years ago] to put a stake in the ground on the producing side. We've reshaped who we are in the industry by being a producer.

Other Elephant Eye productions being developed include a new musical "Venice," loosely based on "Othello," expected to open next season at a New York theater yet to be announced. The show is directed by ErIc Rosen, artistic director of Kansas City Repertory Theatre, with music by composer-performer Matt Sax.

Also still in play is the long-in-gestation musical based on the life of martial arts master Bruce Lee "but it's not real yet," says Oken, and without the high-profile names previously attached to it — composer David Bowie, writer David Henry Hwang, director Bartlett Sher, though composer David Yazbek is still attached and a new writer-director is expected to be named soon.

"Beauty," with music by Regina Spektor and Michael Korie ("Grey Gardens") as lyricist and directed by Tina Landau, has had two readings and due for third.

The musical "1968" with Taylor Hackford directing is no longer in development.

Oken says his goal is not just to produce interesting work but create hits under the Elephant Eye umbrella.

"If we don't get a hit then I think the answer was it was a good try and [Elephant Eye] wasn't viable," he says. "If we do, everyone will say, 'Wow, lightning struck' and we'll be around for a long, long time. People who invested in Elephant Eye did it to make money so it will be judged at the end of the day by that."

THE ADDAMS FAMILY plays Tuesday, Feb. 21 to Sunday, Feb. 26 at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford. Performances are Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $17 to $80, not including fees. Information: 860-987-5900 and http://www.bushnell.org.

Read Frank's blog on theater, the arts and entertainment at http://www.courant.com/curtain and catch him talking about what's on stage on FOX/CT's 'Morning Show" on Fridays during the 9 a.m. hour. And be the first to know by following Frank on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/ShowRiz.